I’ve loved the idea of text expanders for a long time, tools that allow you to type a short snippet like “;addr” and it instantly converts into a full string (such as your full mailing address). Over time though, I’m finding it more helpful to use it for specific quick keys rather than expanding larger […]
Productivity
How does interstitial journaling work?
A few months ago I said that I think blogging beats journaling, for a number of reasons. I still stand by that, but that’s certainly not to say that journaling is a bad thing. I recently read an article from Anne-Laure Le Cuff about the idea of interstitial journaling, and it seems to work well […]
You’ll never be ready, so do it now
I’m an Eagle Scout, so I know the motto “Be Prepared”. Going into something blind is often foolish. However, many people have a tendency to overprepare and never quite get to the point of publishing. The difference between “bad” and “perfect” is pretty wide, but it will literally never be perfect. That is essentially the […]
Learning without memory is fruitless
As I’m taking the time to read and write more often, I’m also trying to work on ways to better retain what I’m learning. For years, I’d read books and pick up new ideas, but those ideas would quickly fade in the months after reading the book. Because of that, when I read books now […]
Waiting with purpose
During the day we all have spots of time that we need to “kill”. Waiting outside of the dance studio for your child. Waiting for the doctor to see you. Waiting in line to check-out at a store. What do you do with that time? I have two vastly different approaches. Be Productive Ideally, I […]
The Digital Efficiency Framework
It’s 10:30 Monday morning and you now have 742 unread emails in your inbox. You have three notes you scratched in your notebook, your boss just asked for a few things, and you have no idea what’s in your Evernote anymore. Things are a mess. Digital tools are great. Never in our history have we […]
Planning for Growth
I’ve always considered myself to be a pretty good planner, but as I’ve learned more I’ve realized how poor a job I often do. Over the past year, I’ve refined my processes quite a bit and I feel I have things in a much better place (though always looking to improve). For me, planning really […]
To write more, read more
As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I’m trying to write every day. So far, so good. It’s been excellent, but it’s not always easy. There are times when I’m not sure what to write, and I find the reading is often the solution. David B. Clear sums it up rather nicely by saying that […]
Goals are a commitment to the process
Setting a goal is easy enough: “Lose 20 pounds by March 1” sounds great. If you follow something like the SMART framework, that simple goal essentially checks all of the boxes. While losing 20 pounds might be the goal, setting that goal really means that you’re committing to a process. This likely means eating less […]
Unsubscribe like crazy
Over the next few days, you’re likely to be inundated with emails from companies that you haven’t heard from in a while. It’ll be irritating to receive them all, but it’s a great opportunity — don’t just delete those emails, but take a few seconds to unsubscribe. Maintaining control of your inbox is an increasingly […]